Erdogan shoots from hip on historic Greek trip
Long-held grievances surface during first visit by a Turkish president to Greece for 65 years
The first visit by a Turkish president to Greece in 65 years has exposed long-held grievances and highlighted the divide between the two countries on a host of issues.
Beginning his historic two-day visit in Athens, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went on the offensive, attacking the border treaty between Greece and Turkey. He raised the contentious subjects of ethnically divided Cyprus, the rights of Muslim minority in north-eastern Greece and airspace violations.
Just hours earlier, Erdogan had accused Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of breaking a “personal promise” to extradite eight Turkish servicemen accused of involvement in the failed coup last year.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
After giving verbal assurances the men would be sent to Turkey, the Greek government is in a bind. The servicemen have requested political asylum and “EU and Greek law forbids extradition to a country where an alleged offender would be at risk of torture”, says The Times.
Later, in what the BBC described as a “tense” opening exchange, Erdogan said the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, which set the present-day borders between the two countries after the First World War, was not being applied fairly.
The Treaty is seen as a cornerstone of peace in the region, and Erdogan’s remarks drew a sharp rebuke from Tspiras and Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
“The Treaty of Lausanne defines the territory and the sovereignty of Greece, and of the European Union, and this treaty is non-negotiable,” Pavlopoulos said, “it has no flaws, it does not need to be reviewed, or updated.”
The visit, which was meant to reset bilateral relations, has led to angry protests from left-wing Greeks and exiled Kurds, alarmed by Turkey’s growing bellicosity and a domestic crackdown on the oppostion since last year’s failed coup.
The two countries, nominally allies in Nato, have clashed on many occasions since Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. They almost went to war in 1996 over a group of uninhabited islands in the Aegean Sea and have been locked in an uneasy ceasefire in Cyprus since the 1970s.
Although relations have improved in recent years, Reuters says “many Greeks believe Turkey has territorial aspirations against their country”.
Yet despite their uneasy history “the Greeks are acutely aware that geography means they must coexist with Turkey and stand to benefit most if Ankara remains anchored to Europe”, says The Guardian.
Both governments hope the visit will mark a new chapter in bilateral relations, with joint infrastructure projects being signed off, the BBC’s Mark Lowen reports from Athens.
Konstantinos Filis, research director of the Athens-based Institute of International Relations, told DW that “economic and security issues will be the focus of the visit” and “controversial topics will be ignored.”
However, Thanos Dokos, director of the Athens-based Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy think tank, said he did not expect meaningful political progress between the two Mediterranean countries, dismissing the much-vaunted visit as “a public relations exercise and photo opportunity”.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Biden is smart to keep the border-security pressure on'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu worries mount as virus found in milk, cows
Speed Read The FDA found traces of the virus in pasteurized grocery store milk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Palazzo Durazzo Suites in Genoa: a palatial gem in northern Italy
The Week Recommends Live your Italian dream in this astonishing and recently restored palace in the heart of the city
By Nick Hendry Published
-
Myanmar: the Spring Revolution and the downfall of the generals
Talking Point An armed protest movement has swept across the country since the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown in 2021
By The Week Staff Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is there a peaceful way forward for Israel and Iran?
Today's Big Question Tehran has initially sought to downplay the latest Israeli missile strike on its territory
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How powerful is Iran?
Today's big question Islamic republic is facing domestic dissent and 'economic peril' but has a vast military, dangerous allies and a nuclear threat
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US, Israel brace for Iran retaliatory strikes
Speed Read An Iranian attack on Israel is believed to be imminent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How green onions could swing South Korea's election
The Explainer Country's president has fallen foul of the oldest trick in the campaign book, not knowing the price of groceries
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's battle to save Kharkiv from Putin's drones
The Explainer Country's second-largest city has been under almost daily attacks since February amid claims Russia wants to make it uninhabitable
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published